Bruins prospect profile #17: Anthony Camara

Physical: Average height, but has a squat build and generates a lot of power through his core. Fast skater who accelerates quickly and has good top speed. Strong on his skates and uses his low center of gravity to bull his way to the net and establish body position. Not as agile or quick going backwards- could use some refinement there. Quick shot with the accuracy to pick corners and find the back of the net more than he has in junior. Aggressive shooter who will not hesitate to unload. Not much of a passer or playmaker- his best attribute going to the net and getting his shot off. Most of his assists will likely come on rebound goals. Plays bigger than his size- a tenacious, scrappy player who loves to initiate contact and get his nose dirty in the corners and in front of the net. Fights a lot and has the makings of a very good middleweight- has trouble dealing with the true heavies, but will only get better as he matures and improves his strength and technique.

Intangibles: Gritty, nasty player who does whatever his coaches ask of him. Fearless- will take on any comers. Needs to work on controlling his emotions and discipline; has to recognize the situations where he can't afford to hurt his club with bad penalties. Works hard and wants to be a player despite his limitations. Hockey sense is questionable at this point- does not show a lot of creativity and is more of a north-south banger who goes straight to the net but does not seem to have the vision or instincts to capitalize on his skill level.

2011 Boston Bruins Development Camp Assessment:

Camara (Kuh-MAIR-uh) justified some of the positive comments B2011DW heard from a few scouting sources at the draft. To be balanced, there were also more than a few who did not like the pick for Boston and saw little upside with the pugnacious winger. In Wilmington, he showed off some talent: he skated well, demonstrated a quick, rifle shot and found the back of the net on some memorable plays. Development camp isn't the best place to see the physical and fighting prowess, but Camara did make solid body contact throughout and showed the kind of tenacity in puck pursuit and by going to the net that has become his watchword in the OHL. Now, the question he'll have to answer is whether he can elevate his role and production in year three with Saginaw. If he can do that, he'll rise up Boston's prospects depth chart. If not, the fall will be a precipitous one.

Development Camp interview: Anthony Camara

Projection

The Camara pick raised some eyebrows because of how high the B's took him relative to what he had accomplished to date. In two full OHL seasons with Saginaw, the hard-nosed winger has just 14 goals to go with 228 penalty minutes in 129 games. Whispers at the draft said that the Bruins originally had him in the fourth round as far as value went, but liked him enough that they didn't want to risk having to wait until the end of the next round to get him. His upside is likely that of a third-liner, but the B's will hope for some Milan Lucic-type developmental growth and upside. Camara does not have Lucic's size, but is a better skater and has the hands with a similar temperament. It will be interesting to see if Camara can emerge from the bottom two lines in Saginaw this season and score somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 goals. Several scouts told B2011DW that he is a sleeper, and based on what we saw from him at development camp, there could be something to that projection. We have to also remember that Camara was Saginaw's first-round pick (15th overall) in the 2009 OHL draft, so the guy definitely came into major junior with some expectations. We haven't seen him justify them quite yet, but the talent is there.

Quotable:

"[[Anthony] Camara, he’s, I think a couple of these guys’ eyes were opened at the speed and strength, but he’s a robust player."- Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli , July 11, 2011

"Obviously, [Anthony] Camara scored a goal, so you like to see that from a guy who plays with a lot of bite, that he can play on both sides of it. "- Bruins Assistant GM Don Sweeney; July 10, 2011

"Well, I think I alluded to the fact that he scored a goal and he’s a kid that plays with a lot of bite, we know that. He’s a real, tough kid. Again, is the skill and working with Besa [Tsintsadze] necessarily where he’s going to shine to the most but you know what, he’s been working at it, he knows it, and he wants to get better at it. Then when the puck’s dropped, you realize that this kid has a skill set that is probably better than what some people think it was because of the toughness. I mean, sometimes those guys get pigeonholed and there’s no reason for Anthony to get pigeonholed at all. He showed he can play today and he’s physical and then he’s going to stick up for his teammates as well. So, I like that flavor."- Sweeney; July 10, 2011

About Me

I am an NHL/Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils and Prospects writer for the New England Hockey Journal and New York Hockey Journal. I have been with NEHJ since 2000 and with NYHJ since its inception in December 2010